Improvement in whiffletree-hooks



W.'L. B: & J. J. BUSHING.

' Whiffletree-Hook.

No. 216,727. Patented June 24,1879.

N-FETERS, PHOTO-LITHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, C,

UNITED STATES: PATENT Orr-ton.

WILLIAM B. OUSHING AND Jonn'ojcnsnine, or rnorninrsrown, ASSIGNORS orONE-THIRD THEIR nrenr TO HOBERT s. ANGUISH,

OF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN WHlFFLETREE-HOOKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent Noi 216,727, dated June 24,1879; application filed February 14, 1879. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that W6,VVM. L. B. CUsHING and JOHN J. GUsHING, ofProphetstown, in the county of Whiteside and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in WhiffletreeHooks and wedo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in whiffletree-hooks, theintention being to provide a means of attaching the trace to thewhiftletree, so that while the trace may be readily hitched andunhitched it will be impossible for the trace to become accidentallyunfastened.

Figure 1 is a top view of the trace in the position for work attached tothe whiffletree.

Fig. 2 is a back view of the whiffletree, with the trace raisedperpendicularly in the position of being attached to or detached fromthe whiffletree, the dot-ted line showing the end of the button E in thetrace. Fig. 3 is a view of the contiguous faces of the two partsconstituting the hook. I

A is the end of the whiffietree. B is the end of the trace, which may beof leather or the ordinary cockeye. O is a screw-bolt, having neck a toreceive the trace, and having its end D outwardly tapering, withexception of the uppersurface, which is flattened. 0n the outer edges ofthe flattened upper surface of the end D are formed the long shoulder 11and the short shoulder c. The bolt 0 is screwed into the end of thewhiffletree in the ordinary way.

E is a half-round button with tapering ends, and pivoted with its flatsurface downward by means of the rivet 02 passing vertically through itat or near its center, and through the end D, at such point on thelatter as that when the button E is turned in line with the end D itsouter end and sides are coterminous with those of the end D, and thatwhen the button E'is turned at right angles with the end D the innerside of the button will be on a line with the shoulder 11 of the end D,thus with such shoulder forming a stop for the outside of the trace, andat the same time the outer shoulder, 0, of the button E and the outerside of the projection g thereof shall abut, respect ively, against theouter and inner faces of the shoulder c of the end D, and prevent thebutton from turning farther than a direction parallel with the trace. Onthe lowersurface of the button E are formed the shoulders c f and theintermediate square-sided projection, g.

The purpose of the shoulder f is, that when the button is turned intoline with the end I) it may engage the shoulder b of the end D, and thebutton be prevented from turning farther backward, thus rendering itmore easy of alignment with the end D, for the purpose of putting on orremoving the trace.

When the parts D and E are in line their vertical diameter is much thegreatest; and as the diameter of the hole in the trace or cockeye isgreatest horizontally, the trace is placed on the hook by being turnedup into a perpendicular position and passed over the end of the hookuntil the inner side of the trace strikes the shoulder of thewhifiiletree, when the inner end of the button E will be in the hole ofthe trace, as shown in Fig. 2. The trace is then allowed to fall forwardby its own weight upon theneck a, when the upper side of the hole in thetrace, striking the tapering surface of the inner end of the button,

moves the latter on the rivet d, andiuto a position parallel with andcontiguous to the trace, and the button being longer than the hole inthe trace, it is impossible for the latter to be The advantage of ourinvention is, that it is neat, strong, simple, and durable, and may becheaply made of malleable iron. It also dispenses with springs andleathers, all of which are liable to become broken or otherwiseinefi'ective. If properly made there will be no rattling of the parts.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In a whiffletree-hook, the combination of the screw-bolt 0, havingthe flattened end D, with the button E, when the latter is horizontallypivoted to such end, in the manner sub stantially as shown, and. for thepurpose described.

2. The combination of the whiffletree A, screw-bolt 0, having theoutwardly-tapering end D, and the button E, all constructed and WM. L.B. (BUSHING.

JNO. J. CUSHING.

Witnesses H. O. RIPLEY, H. S. ANGUISH.

